The latest updates from Australian Sailing's General Manager – Queensland – Annie Watson

Please click this link to find a copy of all past Queensland General Managers Updates.

General Update

As I write this update we have 72 days until the XXXIII Olympic Summer Games in Paris. It’s coming up quickly and our Australian Sailing Team is ready to go.  All your clubs should see the benefit of the games with an increased interest in sailing.  This will provide continued growth in learn to sail, membership and people having fun on the water in any way that works for them.

The Queensland team have been working with many clubs over the past couple of months delivering participation workshops, attending events, completing Discover Sailing Centre Reviews and running the AS Coaching Clinics.    If you haven’t had taken advantage of the Participation Workshop, please reach out to Grant or Alison and we will book in a suitable time.  Mooloolaba Yacht Club had 17 people attend the workshop and the attendees covered a wide sample from their club.  Two brand new members, Life members, flag officers, sailors, coaches and instructors and their bar manager.  They all found the workshop helpful and their were some great ideas that came out.  We can’t wait to see the growth and renewed enthusiasm over the next 12 months.

Southport Yacht Club has been awarded the next three years for the Queensland Yachting Championships and they will also host the Australian Yachting Championships in 2026.  This is a great opportunity for Queensland IRC boat owners to get involved with this event on their home turf.

Some exciting news for Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club, Tinaroo Sailing Club and QCYC as they have been awarded infrastructure funding from the government to the tune of $740k combined.  It’s going to be a busy time for them all getting their projects completed.

The Sail Airlie Coaching Clinic was again a success with the opportunity for an emerging coach to join the team for some professional development. This is a project we deliver as part of our government funding.  Townsville Sailing Club has now partnered with Australian Sailing to create a new youth regatta in the June/July school holidays and we will support them with a coaching clinic. This is a great opportunity for our juniors and youth in North Queensland and we hope that all clubs will support this new event and coaching clinic. 

Updating Our Records – We need a copy of your current Constitution and Annual Report

Alison and Grant will have been in touch with your club about providing a copy of your current constitution and the latest Annual Report.  We are in the process of updating our files so thank you to the clubs who have already sent these to us.   If you haven’t sent these documents to Alison or Grant can you please do so at your earliest convenience.

Action Item/s for Club: Send a copy of your current constitution and annual report to your Club Support Officer.

Qld Sailing Summit – Saturday 13th July Southport Yacht Club Main Beach.

What are you doing on Saturday 13th July?  We hope you will all be at Southport Yacht Club for the 2024 Sailing Summit.  2023 Instructor of the Year Sophie Baynton from Keppel Bay will be talking about how partnerships and collaboration with other clubs has had an impact on the club. And Emily Vivian from 2023 Club of the Year Category B Humpybong Yacht Club will be talking about coaching, participation and retention.  It will be fantastic to hear from these professional young women in our sport.  Ross Manning from Southport Yacht Club will be talking about how inclusion in club racing has made such a difference in Para Sailing and how it has led to the club hosting significant events.

There will be Q&A sessions, workshops and plenty of time for networking.  Refreshments are provided and we very much encourage all clubs and class associations to have a representative attend and in particular, if you are new to your club committee to also attend. Register now!

Action Item/s for Club: Register to attend today: https://www.sailing.org.au/events/172509/

Training in Focus – Live – A must do for Instructors and Discover Sailing Centre Principals

Sunday 28th July at Southport Yacht Club Oxenford.

Instructors, Discover Sailing Centre Principals and Training administrators should be attending this event.  You receive hands-on learning via workshops, practical on water activities, the opportunity to try a new discipline such as windsurfing, SUPs or Foiling and of course, plenty of time to share ideas and best practice amongst peers.

Accredited Instructors who attend the Training in Focus – Live events will automatically have their qualifications extended for a further 12 months, assisting to further remove the barriers to reaccreditation.

Action Item/s for Club:  Make a day of this professional development opportunity for your full instructor team – Ask everyone to register today! https://www.sailingresources.org.au/training/traininginfocus-live/

Queensland Sailing Awards – Who are you going to nominate in 2024?

Who are you going to nominate this year? We hope to see more clubs represented by nominating the incredible people in our Queensland Sailing Community. And to all our clubs, we think you are fantastic, so consider nominating your club this year. Keppel Bay Sailing Club and Humpybong Yacht Club showed that Queensland Clubs are the best in the Nation! If you aren't in it, you can't win it! 

Action Item/s for Club: Have the conversation at your next committee meeting to start identifying the people in your community that you would like to nominate.

Game Plan for Clubs

For Clubs who have already completed the Participation Workshop with Alison or Grant, Game Plan is the next step for review.  It is a self-assessment tool for clubs and class associations to review all aspects of your organisation and provide an improvement plan with links to resources and templates.

Game Plan is provided in partnership with the Australian Sports Commission. It is neatly set out in areas so that one person doesn’t have to complete the whole program and each module is only 15 minutes.   Start today: https://www.sailingresources.org.au/clubresources/governance/